In response to a new federal rule from the U.S. Department of Justice, the University of Georgia has launched a coordinated effort to meet accessibility requirements. The new rule requires all state entities to ensure their websites and digital content are accessible to individuals with disabilities by April 24, 2026. This includes all programs, services, and instructional materials delivered digitally. Compliance must align with the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.1, Level AA.
Accessibility, under this rule, means providing equal access. At its core, it is about removing barriers so that individuals do not face unnecessary obstacles when engaging with our resources. This means content must be usable by all people, regardless of their abilities, disabilities, or circumstances.
What does this mean for you?
Faculty and staff are now responsible for ensuring that every digital asset submitted to the web team is in compliance before the web team uploads the asset to any Mary Frances Early College of Education website. For example:
- Every video must have closed captions
- Every audio-only asset must have a complete transcript
- Every image must have a text-only description (including images within your documents)
- Every document (Word, PDF, Google Doc, etc.) must be created using proper page structure (not merely font changes, but actual heading levels)
PDFs are often the “final-form” electronic document format of choice, so it’s important that they be made accessible, including your CV.
We understand that this new commitment to accessibility will require learning new skills, and that can seem challenging, but the goal is an important one shared among all of us. Below is a list of links and resources that can help. Additionally, UGA Digital Accessibility Services offers various training and support options, including weekly office hours to answer targeted questions about digital accessibility.
The web team is responsible for ensuring we comply with this federal law, so content that does not comply will not be uploaded, and some sites may have to be taken down until they comply.
Links and resources
- Application deadline: Monday, April 20
The Ralston Institute for Behavioral Health and Developmental Disabilities, located in the College of Family and Consumer Sciences, is proud to share its call for proposals for Momentum Grants, which are designed to support short, high-impact projects that advance Georgia’s capacity to serve individuals, families, and communities with behavioral health and developmental disability needs.
These awards are intended to support rapid efforts such as conducting pilot studies, developing training or technical assistance resources, building community partnerships, or generating preliminary data for external funding. Proposed projects must align with one or more priority areas, including:
- Behavioral health workforce development
- Recovery, inclusion, and community supports
- Youth and adolescent well-being
- Rural access and equity
- Justice-involved supports
The Ralston Institute anticipates making five awards, with projects beginning May 1 and concluding by June 30, 2026. Please view the full details and application materials to learn more about this opportunity.
- Date: Wednesday, April 1
- Time: 3-4:30 p.m.
- Location: Aderhold Hall Room 206
Meg Mittelstadt, assistant vice president for learning initiatives in the UGA Center for Teaching and Learning, will be offering an AI workshop for faculty and graduate students.
The workshop will include a brief introduction to generative AI (genAI), brainstorming how we can/should advance students’ genAI literacy and responsible use barometers, and a few examples of innovative teaching with generative AI from across UGA.
To help plan for seating, please register if you plan to attend.
- Date: Wednesday, March 25
- Time: 11 a.m.-1 p.m.
- Location: Aderhold Hall Room 201
The UGA Large Language Model (LLM) Club, together with the School of Computing and the Mary Frances Early College of Education, is hosting an AI panel seminar in Aderhold Hall. School of Computing doctoral candidate Steven Xu will lead a moderated discussion on how frontier AI is reshaping learning, pedagogy, and human knowledge systems.
The seminar is open to all UGA students, faculty, and staff. Seating is limited, so please register in advance. Registration will also help us order enough food for attendants.
Graduate students, do you have an idea for a research project focused on fostering inclusion and belonging? Building an empowered community? Focused on inclusive demographics?
Submit your proposals to “pitch” your project at our DawgTank competition, held on the Mary Frances Early College of Education’s Research Day, for a chance to win funding for your research!
Student entries are due Friday, April 3.
- Date: Tuesday, April 21
- Time: 1-6:30 p.m.
- Location: UGA Center for Continuing Education & Hotel
All faculty who are interested in creating pathways for cross-campus partnerships with public service faculty are invited to attend the inaugural Impact Through Engagement: UGA Collaborative Research Summit. This summit is hosted by UGA’s Public Service and Outreach (PSO) to explore best practices in community-engaged work and to foster collaboration across academic and public service units.
Attendees will learn more about engaging with PSO on community-based research, grants, and projects. Interested faculty can register for this event.
Join the Department of Language and Literacy Education for three events at the Georgia Museum of Art beginning with the eighth annual Aralee Strange Lecture on Thursday, April 2 at 5:30 p.m. featuring Lemuel “Life” LaRoche.
Life is an author, poet, and local community leader. In his talk, “Art, Chess, and Resistance: Exploring Tools to Build Community Impact and Change,” he will explore how chess, art, and civic engagement can serve as transformative tools for strengthening students, families, and communities. Participants will examine chess as a framework for cognitive development by enhancing critical thinking, strategic planning, emotional regulation, and decision-making skills in young people.
On Friday April 3, from 10 a.m.-12:30 p.m., graduate and undergraduate students are invited to join Callan Steinmann, director of learning and engagement at the Georgia Museum of Art, for a workshop session at the museum that will include gallery discussion and art-making. Using artist Julie Green’s “The Last Supper” series as the focus, participants will explore strategies for leveraging works of art to engage students in discussions around art and activism, social justice, and contemporary issues. Then attendees will create their own ceramic works of art in response to Green’s installation. Lunch will be provided following the workshop. This program is free, but space is limited; please email callan@uga.edu to reserve a spot.
Finally, on Saturday, April 4 from 10 a.m.-1 p.m., join us for a drop-in, free family event presented in partnership with Chess and Community and UGA’s Department of Language and Literacy Education. Learn how to play chess and check out robots at stations hosted by Chess and Community members, explore the galleries with self-guided activities, and create your own chess-inspired art project.
This event is sponsored by the Aralee Strange Fund for Art and Poetry, the Department of Language and Literacy Education, and the Language and Literacy Education Graduate Organization.
The Hutchinson-Crim Mentorship Program, offered through the Office of Inclusion and Belonging, is given to five outstanding undergraduate students in the Mary Frances Early College of Education who demonstrate a commitment to education and a desire to both mentor and be mentored. Students earn a $1,000 scholarship and are paired with a faculty mentor for the academic year.
Do you know a student who would be a good candidate for this program? Nominate them using our form.
Students who are nominated will receive an individualized email invitation to apply to the program, and their nomination will be noted on their application materials.
On Thursday, March 26, we’re Calling All Dawgs for the University’s annual Dawg Day of Giving.
Be a part of this one-day giving challenge to build a stronger future for generations of students. Stop by the Aderhold Hall lobby or the Ramsey Student Center between 9-11 a.m. for a cup of coffee, free gifts, and to learn about the impact of our new Student Emergency Fund.
Will you answer the call?
Nicole Kemon joined the K-12 Assessment Solutions team to support our work with districts in the area of K-12 science. She earned her bachelor’s degree from Virginia Wesleyan University, where she majored in environmental studies, sociology, and Spanish, and completed her master’s degree this past December at UGA’s Warnell School of Forestry and Natural Resources. During her graduate studies, Nicole also served as a research assistant, further strengthening her expertise in the field.
Outside of her professional work, she enjoys spending time outdoors, volunteering in the Athens community, and exploring new restaurants as a self-proclaimed foodie. We are excited to welcome Nicole to the team and are confident that our partner districts and schools will enjoy working with her.
Julie A. Luft, the Athletic Association Professor of Science Education and Distinguished Research Professor in the Mary Frances Early College of Education, was recently elected to chair of Section Q, the education subgroup of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS).
As chair of the education section, she will work with the education steering committee to support the mission of AAAS—to advance science and serve society—through set initiatives, including continuing the Justice and Equity Webinar Series, connecting with other AAAS sections to amplify the importance of K-12 science education, and increasing engagement in both the education section and the organization.
“As the education chair, it is so important to be advocating and elevating K-12 science education,” said Luft, a professor in the Department of Mathematics, Science, and Social Studies Education.
Read the full story on our website.